Polding plastic book cover



Dec. 12, 1950 w, R, K, JR 2,533,590

FOLDING PLASTIC BOOK COVER Filed Sept. 10. 1949 12 i 4 w INVENTOR. w 8 FJLLIAM RKUTIK UR.

A TTO/QNE 19 Patented Dec. 12, 1950 FOLDING PLASTIC BOOK COVER WilliamR. Kutik, Jr., West Milford, N. J., assignor to Paul P. Clark, Fairlawn,N. J.

Application September 10, 1949, Serial No. 115,045

2 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed. relates generally to folding coversmolded of plastic resins and more particularly to that class of hingedfolding covers which utilize integrally molded parts ashinged'connect'ions.

One object of my invention is to provide a folding plastic cover whichincludes four main elements, two back units which together form thespine or back of the cover, and two side pieces. Within each set, theelements, i. e., each of the two back elements and each of the two sideelements, may be identical. When identical it is only necessary toemploy two difierent die or mold cavities in the fabrication of theelements.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simplied construction,easily manufactured and simply assembled, the assembly being donemanually. Because of the simplicity of assembly, a cover made accordingto my invention may be marketed completely unassembled or may bemarketed assembled as hereinafter more fully appears, it then being leftto the purchaser to complete the device by assembling any desiredattachments to the spine.

The one embodiment described utilizes my invention in connection with awell-known ring binder assembly. The cover may also be utilized as aportfolio or as a permanent binder in which case sheet holdingstructures of any well-known type may be supported from the spine. Also,inasmuch as the form of the edges of the side elements other than thatof the edge associated with the spine, form no part of the invention,the side elements may be adapted to provide a folding box such as thoseused for candy, postage stamps, fishing flies and the like.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, this invention relates to the combination andarticles of manufactur described in the specification and shown in thedrawings and defined in the appended claims.

It should be understood, however, that various changes and modificationsmay be made and practiced within the scope of the following claimswithout departing from my inventive ideas.

I shall describe several embodiments of my invention with reference tothe following drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a device made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the ringbinder assembly being removed;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the parts shown in Fig. 3 with the ringbinder assembly being removed; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig.1, in which an alternative means for connecting the units comprising thespine is employed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, S denotes the spine of thecover. The spine S is formed of the two identical back elements I and 2.Each of the identical elements I and 2 is molded of plastic resin andconsists of a flat plate having two series of tongues I formed integraltherewith, one series of tongues I running along each of the long edgesof the plate. Each of the tongues I has formed therein a groove 8 whichis substantially semi-circular in cross-section and Whose long axis isparallel to the long edge of said plate. The grooves axially registermutually along each row of tongues to define a passageway.

The spine S is assembled by laying the back elements I and 2, one on topof the other, and fastening elements I and 2 by bolts or rivets 3, asshown in Fig. 3. Alternatively the elements I and 2 may be cementedtogether as shown in Fig. 5 in which case the two sets of coincidingholes 6 may be eliminated, or if retained may be used in connection withrivets or bolts to hold a ring binder assembly, if desired.

The identical side elements 9 and I!) which complete the cover aresimilarly molded in one piece of plastic resin. Each of said sideelements 9 and III consists of a flat plate having an edge portion I Iwhich is adjacent to the spine S after assembly. This edge portion IIhas formed integrally therewith a bead or extended cylindrical elementI2 which runs the entire length of the cover. This bead I2 may be formedin the molding operation to run intermittently along the length of thecover, since the bead is only useful in cooperating with grooves 8 andthe passageway defined thereby to form a hinge bar as will behereinafter described. It is desirable, however, to run the bead alongthe entire length of the cover since it has a reinforcing effect in theareas between the slots I3. Adjacent to this bead I2, the edge portionis provided with a series of substantially rectangular slots I3 which,when the cover is assembled, cooperate with the tongues 1 as hereinaftermore fully appears.

When assembling the cover, the bottom or outside element 2 of the spineS is placed so that the grooves 8 formed in the tongues I face upwardly.

The two side elements 9 and II] are then placed adjacent to the bottomelement 2 of the spine S so that the bead I2 lies within the series ofgrooves 8, and the tongues I lie within the slots I3. The top or insideelement I of the spine S is then superimposed on the outside element 2so that the tongues I, the grooves 8 and the holes 6 coincide. To thisend, the grooves 8 of the top element I face downwardly. The top and bettom elements I and 2 are then afiixed one to the other by bolts, rivets,cement, or any other means as hereinbefore described.

It will thus be apparent that the tongues I of the spine S work in theslots I3 formed in the side pieces 9 and Ill, and the bead l2 works inthe substantially circular space or passageway 14 formed by the grooves8 when the spine is assembled. Hinges are thus provided. In the specificembodiment of the invention described, the diameter of the bead I2 isslightly smaller than that of the circular space or passageway [4 sothat the side elements are freely rotatably secured to the spine S. Itwill be understood, however, that by increasing the diameter of the beadI2 relative to the diameter of the substantially circular space orpassageway l4, friction between said grooves 8 and said bead. I2 will beprovided, thus creating some impediment to free rotation. If, therefore,it is desired to utilize the invention in a foldingv cover wherein freerotation in the hinge joints is not desired, the diameter of the bead I2relative to that of the substantially circular space or passageway I4may be increased.

The invention may be utilized in folding covers for books in which casea ring binder assembly i may be affixed to the inner plate I ofthe spineS. Also, by forming one or both of the side pieces with edge walls, afolding box may be made such as those used as containers for candy,fishing flies, and the like. Where this is done, and one set of dies ormolds is employed for the" fabrication of the side pieces, the necessaryresult will be that the side pieces have side edges of equal size.

In- Fig. 5; the cement I6 is used to hold the spine parts together. Theplastic from which the parts are made may be of the type permitting.cement ing by the use of :a solvent of the plastic sothe plastic itselfacts as a cement. The four main parts of the present invention may bemade of any of the currently available plasticsand they may be formed byinjection molding, pressure molding and the like.

In some instances it may be desirable to make the front and back panelsor sheets of different shapes or dimensions. The spine parts I and 2 mayalso be made respectively different in shape or dimensions. For example,in Fig. 4' the lower part 2 may be molded with integrally projecting 4pins b, shown by broken lines, which fit the holes I) of the part I andform rivets when cemented or otherwise fastened therein.

I claim:

1. A molded folding cover comprising in combination, a spine comprisingtwo superimposed identical elements, each element being a flat platehaving a series of tongues formed integral therewith, running along thelorig edges thereof, each tongue having a groove formed therein, thelong axis thereof being parallel to the long edge of the element, meansfor holding said elements together, and two identical side covers, eachhaving a wide edge adjacent to said spine in which is formed integraltherewith a bead running the entire length thereof and a series of slotsformed therein adjacent to said bead whereby said bead cooperates withsaid grooves and said tongues cooperate with said slots to form a freelyrotatable hinge, said grooves being semi-circular and facing each otherto form a passageway of diameter slightly larger than that of said beadwhereby said bead acts as a hinge bar.

2. A folding cover including, in combination, a spine comprising twosuperimposed elements, each being along plate having a series of tonguesrunning along the long sides thereof, each tongue having a substantiallysemi-circular groove formed therein, the axis of said groove beingsubstantially parallel to said sides and the tongues of each of theplates registering with the tongues of the other with the grooves ofregistering tongues mutually registered and interfacing to formpassageways, means for holding said elements together, and two sidecovers, each having an edge adjacent to said spine in is formed a beadextending axially through each of said passageways which are adjacent tosaid edge and a slot adjacent to each of said registering tongues and.providing the cover with clearance therearou-nd, said grooves beingproportioned so' that each of said passageways is slightly larger thanthe bead therein whereby said head acts as a hinge bar for the cover.

WILL 'IAM- R. KUTIK, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 481,207 Smith "-2 Aug. 23, 1882877,188 Gaylord Jan. 21, 1908 2,318,192 Bolema 1 May 4, I943 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date

